


Moondance

by bar2d2s



Category: Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: F/M, Pre-Movie, Sickfic, because it's the former, wait does that tag mean having a cold or gross
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-06
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-03-16 12:54:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3489017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bar2d2s/pseuds/bar2d2s
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kiss the one you love under a harvest moon, and they're yours forever. A pity Dawn's too sick to go out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moondance

" _Tell_  me you heard the rumor!"

Sunny hadn't even been able to get out a greeting before Dawn was grabbing him by the arms, swinging him around with glee. Her palms were warm against his skin.

"What rumor?" He asked, eyes watering from being spun so fast. Dawn stopped her whirling, setting him down before he got sick. Sunny was very proud that he didn't fall over.

"About the festival tomorrow! There's supposed to be a harvest moon! A harvest moon for the harvest festival, do you know what that  _means_?!"

With a sinking heart, he realized he did.

It was an old superstition that went several ways; if a person was single, they'd undoubtedly meet their true love under the light of a harvest moon. If attached, kiss your lover under a harvest moon, and be with them forever. The last time a harvest moon had coincided with the harvest festival was long before either of them had been born. 

"My parents met under a harvest moon, at the festival! Tomorrow night could be my night!"

Unlike the various balls and dances, which were age-restricted, the harvest festival was open to anyone and everyone who wished to come. There would be music, and games, and fantastic food, all to celebrate the good season they'd had.

He and Dawn had grown up together, best friends for life, but recently, she'd cut her long hair into a distance flyer's bob. She was maturing, and he feared that she'd soon fall away from him, into the arms of some faerie boy more befitting of her station.

And if the rumors were true, 'soon' could be as soon as the next day.

"You really think so?" He asked, trying to keep his disappointment to himself. Apparently it worked, because she shot into the air, looping around him and laughing with delight. He tried not to stare.

To Sunny, Dawn lit the world, and no man would ever be good enough for her. Not even him.

"Yes! It would be so great! Oh! And I know you'll meet your true love, too!"

"Ahh, I-"  _Already have one_ , he didn't say.  _Don't need to look_ , he didn't say. "Will probably be pretty busy." He drew his shoulders back, chest puffing with pride. "I'm on stage this year! Solo!" Dawn cheered, then coughed, clearing her throat. "Whoa, you alright?" She waved a hand at him, setting down.

"Inhaled some pollen, it's alright." She was a little wobbly on her feet, and Sunny rushed over, letting her lean some of her weight on his shoulders. "Hoo, actually, kinda dizzy. Maybe I should-" They stumbled their way over to a rock, and she flopped down onto it. "Sunny? I don't feel so good, all of a sudden."

Her warm palms were slick with sweat when she touched his knee, and when he felt her forehead, she was burning. "We've got to get you back home, you've got a fever."

Dawn never looked weak but when she looked up at him, she certainly didn't look strong. "I can't fly. I don't even think I can walk that far." Sunny shook his head, smiling.

"So I'll carry you."

It wasn't hard. Dawn was very light, even with her heavy wings, and he was used to tossing around sacks of grain that weighed more than her. From the way her shoulders sagged, he knew she wouldn't be up to clinging to his back, so he just scooped her up in his arms. Balancing was a little hard at first, but he got used to it quick. Before he knew it, they were at the steps of the castle.

"Marianne?" He called, hoping that his voice would carry to her window. "Marianne, I need your help!" Sure, Sunny  _could_  have handed Dawn off to a guard, but he knew there were only two people Dawn would want to see her like this, and he was one of them. Her sister was the other.

Marianne's head popped out of her bedroom window, quickly followed by the rest over her, and she dove down to meet them. 

"What happened?" She demanded, trying to grab her sister away. Instinctively, Sunny held Dawn closer.

"She's got a fever. Get her in a cold bath, then put her to bed. Make sure she drinks a lot of water, and juice. It's probably just a bug, she should be fine by tomorrow." Slowly, he handed Dawn off to her older sister, who lifted off immediately. Before she could, Dawn's head popped up, her eyes wild. 

"Sunny?!" She called, and Marianne set down again.

"Hey, it's okay." He said, reaching up to pet her sweaty hair. "Marianne's got you now. Go on and sleep off the sick, so you can come see me sing at the festival tomorrow." Dawn relaxed in Marianne's arms, leaning into his hand.

"'Kay." Dawn replied, voice soft.

Sunny stood there, rooted in place until he could no longer see the two of them. Even though he'd never admit it out loud, while he was worried about Dawn, he almost sort of hoped that she'd still be under the weather tomorrow, at least enough to miss the festival. He frowned.

"Stop that." He murmured, chastising himself as he turned to walk away. Hoping his best friend stayed sick was just...well, it was sick. Mean. He glanced back at the window he knew to be Dawn's. "Get better soon." He said, louder, and he meant it.

* * *

 

The next afternoon, Marianne was waiting for him outside of the castle, where he normally waited for Dawn. His heart leaped into his throat, but she looked exasperated, not sad.

"Oh,  _finally_!" She cried, relief flooding into her eyes as she spotted him. "Dawn's still sick." She explained, pointing upwards. "I gave her the bath, I put her to bed, I made sure she got water and juice and broth...and then she started hallucinating that you'd been dragged off by goblins, and hasn't stopped trying to crawl out of her room since."

It was inappropriate to laugh, he knew it was, but that didn't stop the little snort from escaping. Marianne scowled. "Sorry, sorry. Anything I can do?" She gestured at Dawn's room again.

"Go to her? Let her know you're alive and that her fever dream was just a dream? I have stuff to do before the festival starts tonight, and I  _can't_  babysit her right now." This year, the king had put her in charge of the entire festival. Marianne had a plan for everything, but a sick sister was not part of it.

"Don't worry, I'll watch over her." He said, and Marianne sighed. With a quick hug of thanks, she shot off towards the festival grounds, and he headed into the castle.

It had been years since he'd been inside. Dawn liked her home, but when she was with him, the last thing she wanted to do was remind him that she was a princess. So they mostly spent time by the brook, or in the high grass, or in his village. Still, he remembered his way around, and found her room in no time.

"Dawn?" He called softly, opening her door. A little groan answered him, and his heart sped up. She was laying on the floor. "Dawn!" Sunny yelped, rushing to her.

Dawn had sweated though her nightclothes, and her entire body was shivering. It wasn't the little bug he'd assumed it was, but a full blown fever flu. She needed another bath, more fluids, and most importantly, medicine.

"Hi Sunny." Her voice was weak, but she smiled at him anyway. "I feel awful, but at least you escaped the goblins."

It took him a moment before he remembered the fever dream Marianne had told him about, and he laughed. "Yup, I got them good. C'mon, let's get you back in bed while I find us a little help.

Dawn didn't have pixie handmaidens of her own, but Marianne's were always happy to help her, anyway. They came when Sunny called for them, shooing him out of the room so they could change her into something less sweaty.

"Uh, ladies?" He called from the other side of the door. "She'd feel better if she sat in a bath for a little while. Maybe put her in her swimming clothes?" Swimming clothes didn't cling and go translucent, and would be less embarrassing for him to carry her in.

When the door opened again, Dawn was sitting on her bed, leaning to the side a bit before startling upright again. She was in her petal suit, and her bare skin made him swallow hard.

"Okay, Dawn, back aboard the Sunny Express." She giggled as he scooped her up, cheek resting on his shoulder. The pixies had flitted ahead of them so by the time they made it to the bathroom, the tub was filled with cool water. Sunny gently set her in, making sure her wings draped outside the tub, so they wouldn't get wet.

"You three watch over her while I go find her something to eat, okay?" The pixies nodded and with a last glance, Sunny left the room.

* * *

 

The kitchen was busier than he'd expected, full of festival preparation, but it was still easy for one small elf to stay out of the way of a pack of bustling faeries and grab a few things. Nothing anyone would miss; a jug of water, some easily-juiced berries, a bowl of broth from a big pot. Stuff that Dawn would be able to get down easily, and keep down. She hadn't mentioned nausea or a sore throat, but it was better safe than sorry. Lastly, he grabbed a vial of nectar commonly used to treat fevers, when sleep and food just didn't cut it.

Dawn was still in the bath when he got back to her room, so he set up the food. He was unsure how exactly he could make her bed more comfortable, though, as it was literally the head of a sunflower blossom. Before he could really begin to think it through, the door opened, and Dawn stumbled in. She was being lead by the hand by two of the pixies, while the third worked to dry her hair. Sunny moved out of her way, and she fell face-first into her bed.

"I hate being bathed." She whined into the blossom, and the pixies giggled shrilly, flying out the door. "I can do it myself." 

Well, she certainly  _seemed_  more lucid than she'd been.

"Dawn, are you hungry?" There was a soft hum of assent, and she rolled over onto her side. Sunny gulped, turning towards her closet. More nightclothes, a light dress,  _anything_  other than all that skin. "Here, put this on, it's dry."

He turned his back to her to busy himself with juicing one of the berries. From behind him, he heard a couple of soft thumps, the rustle of cloth, and a loud yawn.

"Sunny?" Slowly, he peeked over his shoulder. Dawn was sitting on her bed in her nightclothes, legs tucked underneath her. The petal suit was on the floor. Her eyes were brighter, more aware, but her skin was still pale.

"Yeah?" He finished juicing the berry, then brought it and the nectar over to her. "This first, then the juice. I also brought you some broth, and water."

Dawn smiled gratefully, tilting her head back and pouring the nectar down her throat quickly. It had a sour-sweet taste to it, so the juice quickly followed. Once she'd finished her drink, Dawn laid back down. "Can I eat later? My body hurts, and I'm tired." He sighed, but covered the broth back up, to keep it warm.

"Get some more sleep, then. Do you want me to go?" She shook her head quickly, and he laughed. "Okay, I'll stay, then."

As he sat down in the chair near the window, he heard Dawn gasp. Following her gaze, he noticed that the sun was going down. The festival would be starting soon. And it looked like they'd both be missing it.

"I was wrong, you have to go." She said, sitting up a bit. "I'll be able to hear you through my window, if you sing loud enough." Sunny shook his head.

"Not a chance. Consider this solidarity. You're too sick to go, so this pretty face isn't gonna make an appearance, either." Her shoulders drooped.

"I was looking forward to hearing you sing." Dawn mumbled, making him laugh again. "I like hearing you sing!"

"And I like singing for you." He replied brazenly, secretly delighting in her smile. "Just because I'm up here doesn't mean I don't get to sing, if you want." She nodded eagerly, laying back down. He scooted his chair closer to her bed, reaching out to pet her hair. Once he was certain that she was good and comfortable, he began to sing.

"Darling you, send me. I know you, send me. Darling you, send me. Honest you do, honest you do."

As he went through the songs he'd planned for the festival, her breathing slowly began to even out. By the time he finished, she was fast asleep, and the harvest moon was high in the sky.

"Sorry you didn't get to go to the festival." He whispered, feeling her forehead. At some point between her bath and then, her fever had broken. Sunny sighed, relieved. With the nectar in her, she'd be better by morning for sure.

His relief at her fever breaking and his giddiness over his audience of one combined into a sort of daring, and he began to wonder. Dawn was asleep, and the harvest moon was right there. He could kiss her. One little kiss, and maybe, they'd be together forever. He leaned over her, their lips almost touching.

And then the shame hit.

It was superstition, an old wives' tale. And Dawn was asleep. It wouldn't be right. As he pulled back, her eyes fluttered open.

"Sunny?" She asked sleepily, and the guilt flowed down his spine like cold water. He was a terrible friend. Dawn reached out, taking one of his hands in hers, long fingers lacing with his shorter ones. "Thank you. For taking care of me. For  _always_  taking care of me. You're my favorite person."

And then she pulled him forward, lips passing over his knuckles one by one until she'd kissed them all, and his face was a flaming red.

"D-Dawn?" He stuttered, but didn't pull his hand away. She giggled, laying her head back down.

"There. Now you're stuck with me forever." She sounded proud of herself, if a little distant. Her mind was still half asleep, after all. Sunny smiled, mostly to himself, as she'd fallen back to sleep.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." He said softly, leaning up to kiss her on the forehead, then settled back in his chair to watch the moon.

That was how Marianne found them hours later; both fast asleep, still holding hands.


End file.
